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More Land ‘Transfers’ Annulled

More Land ‘Transfers’ Annulled

It was widely claimed that the last UBP Government went into a frenzy of activity during the last few weeks of its term in power.

The Council of Ministers passed literally hundreds of decisions relating to land allocations, citizenships and the issuing of gun licences.

These activities are being systematically reviewed by the government led by PM Sibel Siber.

The latest decision to be reversed is for a land transfer, where the last UBP Government decided to take over a hotel from a private company.

The timeline of this deal makes for interesting reading.

2003

The UBP is in government. It signs a contract with Cem-Ha Ltd. a private company. The contract leases out 67 donums of land at Kalkanli to develop for tourism. The lease is for 49 years.

At the same time Cem-Ha went to the development bank and borrowed TL 5 million and US$ 135, 000 to finance the project.

May 22nd 2013

The newly constructed West Queens Resort Hotel is taken back by the state after a decision is made by the UBP Council of Ministers. This is done even though the hotel is empty and has in fact, never been operational. TL 6 million is to be paid to the hotel owners and its ownership is to be transferred to the Ministry of Finance.

The Ministry of Finance will then transfer the building to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security so that it is used as an old peoples’ home.

May 24th 2013

The decision to take over the hotel was made on Wednesday May 22nd. On Friday May 24th, within two days of the decision, The Minister of Labour, Serife Unverdi passes the project to the planning department for review. They are to assess the suitability of the former hotel as a residential care home.

May 27th 2013

Presumably working furiously over the weekend the Planning department determines on Monday May 27th that the ex-hotel is now a suitable residential home.

Nobody in the department questions the fact that the transfer was made before the suitability of the hotel building had been determined.

May 31st 2013

Having completed the process, the UBP government used its last day in power to cancel the contract with Cem-Ha and release them from the lease terms.

Yesterday, the Council of Ministers under PM Sibel Siber annulled the decision of the former government. They said that the matter had been raised and analysed by the chief prosecutor.

The transfer of West Queens Resort hotel has not been made and the payment of TL 6 million to Cem-Ha had not been made and has now been cancelled.